How Banksy Saved Art History

Love him or hate him?It is hard to question that Banksy is the most famous urban artist in the world today. The fact that he is also an astute art historian may come as a surprise to many.How Banksy Saved Art History runs through the countless memorable works the street artist has created over the past thirty years, a bold commentary on the history of image-making - a riveting critique waiting to be pieced together.

Armed with little more than stencils, spray paint and an anonymizing cloak of after-hours darkness, Banksy has carved out an alluring identity for himself as an incorrigible prankster who doesn't embrace tradition, but tears it apart. Think of Banksy and you think of grimy city walls far removed from elitist galleries and privileged museums where art is conventionally displayed. What actually illuminates Banksy's bold murals, improvised urban sculptures and vandalized paintings, however, is a profound understanding of art history.

Through Banksy's darkly satirical lens, art history is revisited and brought into unexpected focus. From his languid glow of the Lascaux cave paintings to reinventing Monet's enchanting water lily pond, a reboot of Géricault's tragic, gut-wrenching vision to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.Banksy's iconic work forces us to re-examine our affection for and appreciation of great works of art that define cultural history.